This blog will contain an assorted mixture of whatever that pours out of my mind and finds expression in words.. I love the beauty of words, I love my friends and above all I love the dark pearl of Dwaraka, the one and only Krishna

pachai maamalai pol mene

Saturday, June 09, 2012

Appalacharya and the donkeys

Appalacharya and the donkeys

In the court of King Krishnadevaraya, Appalacharya was the leading priest and
preceptor, following the line of Veera Vaishnavam. Tenali Rama was a brahmin of
Smartha origin and a courtier in the same durbar. Appalacharya was too much of
a Vaishnava and he hated all other types of people, even brahmanas who followed
other schools of philosophy. Rama was his beta noire and the acharya never
spared any chance to humiliate Rama the smaartha. Rama knew this very well but
Appalacharya was too close to the Royalty.
One morning, as if deliberately, Tenali Rama walked across the street where
Appalacharya was staying and Rama's face was the first thing the Acharya saw in
the morning. He immediately covered his face with a shawl. Rama, feigning
innocence asked why the acharya was covering his face. "Was it too cold?" The
Aacharya replied that something very wrong had happened. He had seen the face
of a smartha first thing in the morning. The evil effects of such a sight would
make him a donkey in the next life. Rama did not reply, but nodded his head in
approval.
A few days later, the King, Appalacharya and Tenali Rama were walking along a
street discussing something. Suddenly Rama saw a few donkeys eating something
on the sides of the street. He rushed to them and with apparent reverence prostrated before the donkeys. This action set the King and the Appalacharya laughing uncontrollably. "This Rama has gone mad. He has started worshiping donkeys" they said to one another.

Rama returned after his prayer and was duly quizzed about his quixotic action. He told the king. " Your Majesty, I was doing my duty alone. I have
great reverence to Appalacharya swami.. My respect is equally great for his
relatives, even though they are unfortunate now."
Appalacharya was dizzy with anger. The king was also not pleased with the
statement of Rama. He demanded an explanation.

Then Rama said," Your Majesty, the Guru Appalaacharyaji had to cover his
face a few days ago when he saw me in the morning, because being a Veera
Vaishnava, if he set his eyes on the fact of a Smartha, he would become a
donkey in the next life. How true! It has happened to his predecessors. These
donkey's are the Acharya's relatives who had set their faces on Smarthas in the
earlier life. So the misfortune has befallen them and they have become donkeys.
How can I fail to pay respects to the Acharyas preceptors just because they
have become donkeys by the misfortune of seeing a smartha like me?"

Now the king came to know of the paranoid dislike of Appalacharya towards
believers of other deities, and made amends for it.